Page 48 of Thicker than Water
And heknowshow much I hate it when vampires drain breathers. He knows all of my fears and weaknesses. I should never have been so vulnerable with him. I let my guard down. I can never do that again.
But I think I might have him. The information Amara gave me was the key.
She’s a useful ally. She’s smart, and she sees a lot in the club. It’s good to keep her close.
Like a curtain rising over a stage, the dusk gives way to night. My bones are unburdened and the haze lifts from my mind.
I wake, and push the lid of my coffin open. Then I step into my crypt. It’s a bare, well-secured room at the back of my suite. The entrance is hidden by a revolving bookshelf in my study. I walk into it and wait impatiently. Xia said she would meet me here.
The study is wood-paneled, with violet wallpaper across the upper half of the walls. Bookshelves line each wall, full of books I’ve hunted over the centuries. I remember when books were a special rarity. I still treat them as such, with a treasured spot for each.
There’s a beep on the speaker on my desk.
“Ms. Côté, Ms. Chan is here for your meeting,” says the crisp voice of the concierge.
“Send her down,” I reply, hitting the button that unlocks the elevator. Not even Xia has the security code to my suite. A vampire’s resting place is their most valuable secret.
I pace as I wait for Xia to arrive. I haven’t drank any blood in a few days and I feel a bit antsy. Perhaps I’ll celebrate this evening in the club.
Or perhaps I’ll be consoling myself.
I tap the toe of my high-heeled leather boot on the ground.
The elevator chimes.
“C?” says Xia, coming through the living area and into my study. She’s wearing slim dark pants and a comfortable loose top. Her silver-streaked hair frames a beaming face. “It worked. You were right!”
“Excellent,” I reply with a smirk. “Were there any losses?”
“No,” Xia replies. “Once the witches realized who we were, they immediately folded. There were no vampires resting there.”
“As I’d predicted,” I say with a nod. “I greatly appreciate your knowledge and support, Xia.”
“Happy to help. I never liked those independent city witches. And if they were helping to create glow, I’m glad to be rid of them. I was getting sick of throwing users out of our club every night.”
“But be sure to increase the security over the next few weeks. I’m sure that Cedric will retaliate once he realizes that we busted his operation. What do you think the likelihood is that they’ll start producing glow somewhere else?”
“You never know,” Xia shrugs. “But you should have seen them when Nova shifted right inside their lair. We destroyed most of their equipment, and I cast a spell around their hideout that should make it difficult for them to work magic there. I doubt they’re going to be eager to partner with Cedric again. It didn’t seem like they were very happy to be doing it in the first place. I think he must have threatened them.”
“He’s a nefarious bastard.”
Malicious delight blossoms inside me at the thought of besting him yet again.
“Damien will take over the night shift, Xia. You take the rest of the week off.”
“Thanks, C.” Xia salutes with a smile. “Celebratory drink at the club?”
“You read my mind.”
Amara
“You should have seen their faces!” Nova laughs, an uproarious sound that cuts through the pounding music of the club. “They scattered like cockroaches! Purple powder waseverywhere!”
“It was pretty awesome,” Xia says to me, taking a swig of her beer.
“Hit me again, Amara!” Nova says.
I pour more whiskey into their cup. It’s hard not to soak up their joy, especially since they’ve got a good reason to be celebrating.
